Author(s): Carolyn Sloan

Music

This charming and interactive picture book with sound panel is like a ticket to a concert hall. Narrated by three mice, Welcome to the Symphony takes readers on a journey that begins with the musicians tuning up. Readers learn the basics: What is a conductor? What is a symphony? Who was Beethoven? The elements of music: melody, harmony, tempo. The families of instruments - strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. But the best part is that every idea is illustrated in sound. Nineteen sound buttons allow readers to actually hear the different parts and voices of the music. The famous beginning of the Fifth, what a clarinet sounds like, what a melody is, and what harmony is. Kids will want to match their voices to the A note that the concertmaster plays to tune the orchestra, dance to the full-throated passages and, of course, sing along to da-da-da-daah!